


Hollowed

by foxxygrandma



Category: Dark Souls III
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-04
Updated: 2018-05-04
Packaged: 2019-05-02 03:57:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14536140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foxxygrandma/pseuds/foxxygrandma
Summary: In a world of fire and despair, an Unkindled on the brink of Hollowing attempts to find a reason to continue on with their journey.





	1. Chapter 1

Worthless, can't even die right. Those words seemed to echo, filling the empty space in this vessel. Not merely this vessel though, it was as if every syllable bounced off the stone interior, even crackling against the embers that glowed beneath the coiled sword. Heavy, worn eyelids fell as I leaned back, producing a small metallic clink as my helmet grazed the wall.

 

There wasn't a sense of resignation, nor a willingness to fight the inevitable. It was merely... an emptiness in between the two, which seemed fitting considering the circumstances. Fatigue crept into the withered bones of my body, weighing me down enough that the thought of moving an inch seemed laughable. Still, I had to know. I had to face the truth for myself. An armored hand lifted, every muscle fighting against the action but I cared not, only determined to fulfill this last foolish whim. My other hand rose as well, slowly removing the opposite gauntlet. My eyelids remained shut, as even with this emptiness, I hadn't the strength to see what my hand must have looked like now. Digits slowly rose, pushing the front of my helm upwards just enough so that it may stay in place. I hesitated in the next motion, though that was to be expected; what I would find under this helm meant nothing in reality. I could not do anything to change my fate, nor did I particularly want to. And yet, there was fear. Beneath everything, I was still a scared little girl.

 

The moments in between my hesitation and when my fingers finally grazed the skin of my cheek seemed to take years, but it was only a matter of seconds. Fingertips traced across what had once been soft and full to find the skin strained, taught across the bone of my jaw. A true hollow, that's what I was now. Or at least, what I would soon become. How ignorant I had been, to imagine my ending could have differed from this in the slightest.

 

It may have been days or weeks that I remained in that corner, possibly even hours. I could not tell the difference, only that a matter of time passed. My muscles did not again move until a sudden crash against cobblestone caused my form to tighten, eyes shooting wide open. I instantly pulled my helm down once more, retrieving my gauntlet from the floor before even beginning to asses the situation. I blinked rapidly, vision finally focusing on another flat on their back just beside the bonfire. Another Unkindled? Must be, who else would dare trekking through the Ringed City? Either a fool, or someone with purpose. Most likely a mixture of both. Either way, I rose to stand, ignoring the fact that my legs had forgotten how to carry my weight anymore. It didn't matter, I just needed to help. My right hand grasped the Greatsword, my left wielding a small talisman. I staggered forward, every step aching as if I were a babe walking for the first time. I swallowed back the pain, closing the distance between the two of us.

 

The lump of armor that this Ash had been reduced to began shuffling backwards, desperately reaching for their sword that had been knocked across the room. Where was the monster they so feared? My helm slowly shifted, facing about the room to find where it was located. Nothing, there was nothing, merely the two of us. Oh. The reality set in as they grabbed their own weapon, attempting to rise back onto their feet. I stopped in my tracks, lips parting as I wanted to desperately to speak- No, you have nothing to fear from me. I am here to help! That was what I would have said, if anything beside a strained whimper left my throat. A gauntlet raised, reaching out towards the other, but that exact moment I felt a new weight present on my back, a cursed monster that had full intentions to take another victim. I staggered, but only for a second before leaning forward, hurling the monster to the floor and plunging my greatsword into its chest. It let out a horrific cry, one that would ring in my ears forever before it amounted to nothing more than a number of souls.

 

My digits wrapped around the hilt of the sword, pulling it from the stones from which it had lodged itself and holding it steady at my side. Hues rose once more to the other that stood petrified in the corner. Could they still... fear me? I supposed it made sense, but that did not stop the way my heart sank at the mere thought of it. I cast my sword away, tossing it to the stones before pushing the worn cape aside to kneel, an arm bent over knee and head bowed.

 

"Oh..."

 

That was the first word I had heard in so long, and from such a gentle voice. I remained firm in my position, not even daring to gaze up at the other. "I must apologize, I believed you to be..." Part of me was thankful her words stopped when they did. I know what you believed, and you were not wrong, but I beg of thee to not utter such a thing. The other shook her head a gloved hand reaching out to rest it on my shoulder. "It matters not now, you saved my life. Rise, there is no need for such formalities. The Unkindled must find alliances after all, for that is the path to victory." Her words were kind, spoken as if she had not already seen the atrocities that plague our world. How could she have survived so long? All light is snuffed out... in time.

 

I dared not to linger on such thoughts any longer, rising once again and retrieving my sword to sling it over my shoulder. "Do you not speak?" I merely shook my head in response, as the sound that would fall from my lips would only further such suspicions of me. She nodded, "Well, it matters not. I can speak enough for the both of us, but for now... shall we rest?" Her hand moved, gesturing towards the fire. I nodded.


	2. Aflame

 No names were exchanged. In all fairness, I much preferred it this way. Without a name, it felt like there wouldn't be an opportunity to mourn the other when fate led humanity to the same place it always had. Whoever this woman was whom had taken myself on like a sell-sword, she need not have a name. Nor a face for that matter, the farther apart we two remained the better. Those were the thoughts I repeated as a sort of mantra, as if the words themselves could etch into my skull and the feelings of gratitude and a sense of duty would vanish away. Another foolish whim of mine, I supposed. Despite how I attempted to distance myself, some part of my soul was put at ease merely by having another present along my journey. The first day of our meeting we had rested beside the bonfire, gathering our strength for the rest of the accursed Ringed City. Very few words were spoken, as I assumed whatever journey had led her here had left her just as exhausted as I. The lack of conversation was something to be praised in my opinion, for no doubt the whimpers from my lips would only further the glimmer of distrust that had no doubt begun to flicker within her mind.

 

 I awoke the next morning— or what I assumed to be morning, admittedly shocked that my sanity had remained intact through the night. It was impossible to describe exactly what it felt like to feel yourself Hollowing. It was far beyond the way your skin began to sink into your bones, leaving the human form thin and lanky. The physicality of it was easy, the difficult part was how holes began to burn into your memory. Forgetting individuals from your past, names, places, that was how it started I believe. All any of us had left was our purpose, and to lose that... well, that was when it was over. My eyelids remained shut, attempting to hone in on what grand ideal had led me here. There was...

 

 "We should be off soon."

 

 The voice pulled me from my thoughts that had not even begun to take form, eyelids blinking rapidly to adjust to the other set of armor that leaned against the stone. Rested up against the wall beside her was a katana, though I could not begin to name such a weapon even if I tried. My head slowly shook, attempting to catch my bearings as one hand found its way to the ground, pushing myself upwards to a standing position. The movement itself was smoother than I had imagined it would be. My muscles were supposed to scream, arguing against my every motion and weighing my will down to the floor like an anchor. Today, though, I was spared of that. 

 

The woman's head shifted, helmet moving to face myself as she pulled herself from against the wall. She moved to freely grasp her weapon in one hand, which I couldn't help but envy. A greatsword was far too heavy to allow myself a free hand on the cusp of battle, I supposed I'd chosen such a fate and hadn't the rights to complain. She took a step forward, preparing to head towards the exit, but she stopped mid-movement and turned back to face me. "How presumptuous of me to assume we art following the same path. I apologize, I am indebted to you, after all, not the other way around. Tell me what you seek, and I will do everything in my power to help you achieve your ends and find peace." Her voice remained soft, yet persistent. As if in her sleep she had made a decision to follow myself to the ends of this world. Even so, in hearing such a sentiment I found relief in that I wasn't the only fool left wandering this land. Finding peace, what an idiotic notion. Was she so blind to the plight we faced? To achieve our ends was a death sentence, worse actually— far worse. 

 

 Perhaps I had sworn myself and my sword to a fool, but that did not change my vows. Be they silent or not, they held strong. For a moment I allowed myself whimsicality, to try and recall what would give me such peace. What had led a nameless Unkindled so far in this world, only to have begun their insanity now, at the end of it all. At one point, I must have carried a will of steel and an unyielding desire towards something. Had I really forgotten it all?

 

No.

 

 It was as if a sword had plunged through my core.

 

The memories came, only in flashes as that was all my mind could handle without collapsing entirely. The moment repeated itself in a torturous cycle; the terribly roar of that monstrosity, the smell of a world aflame. The dragon. Not just any beast, no... a dragon of the abyss. I recalled not only his hideous face, but the way the darkness wrapped around its wings, its scales— showing anyone who dared look upon it just how evil could consume. So lost in the rage that now left a burning in my chest and a nausea in my abdomen, I collapsed back onto my knees. Every inch of my skin was covered in sweat, my stomach threatening to give way at any moment as my bones trembled. The fire. The fire. The fire. It left nothing, nothing at all. I could not hear my armor clash against the stone, nor could I hear the woman beside me, calling out for any kind of response.

 

 The fire. The fire. The fire. 

 

The fire.

 

 Did he roam this city? Did he call himself a protector? I hadn't even realized how my eyelids had fallen, squeezing themselves shut with all the force they could muster. I hadn't even realized how my hand now grasped the woman's, holding on as if she could possibly have saved myself from reliving the terror that this beast had brought. 

 

 My eyelids rose, form falling to lean on the woman with every ounce of my weight. A shaken breath rolled off my tongue, and without question her arms moved to hold me steady, allowing the moment to pass as if it were nothing. "Shhh, shhh." What a fool she was, but I cared not. She continued to shush the sobs I did not even know I was producing, and I continued to squeeze her hand. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How could I have forgotten?


End file.
